Cotton picker



Oct. 27 1925- c. sruKiNBoRG ET AL COTTON PICKER Filed Cot. 3. 1919 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Zg.

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- Patented a. 27, 1925.

UNITED STA'IESl Louis cannon. ts'ruxmom un emmen. Jaan-nr, or cmcoo, umore, Aus- SIGNORE,

s TON, DELAWARE, a conromnon or nmlaw'ann. n

appucmonmea 0eme: s, 19.19. semi in. mama.

To all whom t may'concem:

.Be it 'known that we, LOUIS CAnRoLL STUKENBORG and GEORGE H. HANDY, citizens of the United States, and residents of Chica in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented. certain new and useful Improvements in Cotton Pickers; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, 'and exact description thereof, l0 reference being had to the accompanying y drawings, and-to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this L specification,

This yinvention relates to improvements in l5 cotton picking machinery,'ar`1d refers more lparticularly to improvements inthe picker mechanism which directly engages the cotton boll to remove the fibre from the plant.

The object of the invention is to improve and simplify cotton picker mehanisms of that type embracing brushes which directly engage the bolls to remove them backwardly into 'a picker-head, from which the cottonis carried rearwardly in any suitable manner, as byl a blast of moving air'` induced b v a suction device.'

e practical adaptations of the invention, each of which embraces aseries of rotative brush 30 through which the brush elements are movable, said shell and the series of-bruslrelements being mounted torotate on axes that are eccentric in respect to each other to ex- 3 tend the brush elements outwardly at the front of the head for free contact' with the cotton bolls and to withdraw the brush elements into the shell as the shell is rotated so as to remove the cotton dislodged from the burs. The combined stripping means and the brush elements thus constitute a unitaryl picking and stripping device for removing the cotton from' the burs and carrying. it back and delivering it into the path lof a rearwardly moving blast of air. In addition to the stripping means afforded by the eccentric relation of the shell and brush elements, stationar dofers Vor combs may, if desired, be a plled to act on the bristles of the brushes (lhrin 4the time they are disappearing into the s ell.

elements and a shell having openingsview of one ofv BY 'IF-SNE YABSIGNIETS, TO STUXENBOBG CORPORATION, lOF WILIING- First, referringy to the construction shown in Figures 1 to 4, inclusive, 10 designates a head of suitable formation-to contain and support the picker mechanism. Itis formed at lts front end with a forwardly opening mouth 11 and is tapering at its rear end to form a. neck 12 to which is adapted to-be attached a suction tube 13. The picker mechanism embodying my invention is loy cated at the front or mouthof the head and In the drawlngs, 1s shown a number of is made .as follows:

14 designa-tes a shell which is ldisposed with its axis transverse to the mouth of' the head. One end of the shell is mounted 'on an exteriorly facing cylindrical bearing 15 which, as herein shown, comprises a block '1'5/ that is riveted or` otherwise fixed to the i casing and extending into said shell. With-y in the other end of theA shell is a driving disc 16' which is formedfintegral with a short driving shaft 17 that is mounted in a bearing member 18 'fixed to or made Integral' with the Wall of the head. The head may be madeof cast metal or may be made of stamped metal, and in either event the bear-f f ing members 15 and 18 maybe made integral wth the head if desired. The driving Y shaft 17 hasa worm gear 19 which meshes with a worm driving gear 20, that may be connected through suitable gears, to a source lof driving power, as a motor, mounted'on the head or 'on the frame of the .machine in rearof the head. flhe shell 14 is formed with a lurality of longitudinal slots 22 of which `t ere may be `any suitable number.

may be made of relatively soft material, such as brass,-bre, or the like, and an inner thin f preferably of a' hardenedr member 24, made steel. If thevshel be so formed the inner and outer members maybe fastened together by` screws which extend outwardly; through the inner thin shell member and' into the outer member. When so construct-V ed, the screws ma be locked in place and a driving connect1on aorded between the driving' disc 16 and shell by providing said disc 16 with a series of angularly spaced notches 26 to receive the heads o1' said4 screws. If the shell be made of a single or integral casting the driving connections may be afforded betwen the shell and the disc 16 by projections on the shell, corresponding to the screw heads, and engaging the notches 26 of the driving disc 16.

28 designates a shaft within the shell and is eccentric to the axis of rotation of the shell. As herein shown, it is ixed to or made an integral part with 'the bearing member 15 and extends longitudinally through the shell parallel to the laxis of rotation of the latter v'and 4terminates short of the drivingi disc 16. Rotatively mounted on said shaft I28 is a sleeve 29, coextensive in length with the shaft. 30, 30 designate a plurality of elongated brush holders, each arranged opposite to one of the slots 22 of the shell. All but one of said brush holders are hinged at their inner sides to said sleeve 29. As herein shown, said sleeve is formed with a plurality of angularly 'spaced elongated notches 32 in which the inner sides of the brush holders lit, and said holders are connected to the 'sleeve bymeans of pins 33 which extend through openings in the sleeve at the ends of the notches and 'through registering openings 34 in the inner sides of the vbrush holders. One of the notches 32 is squared or otherwise formed to ixedly hold one of the brush holders relatively thereto so that said latter holder becomes a driving connection between the 'shell and sleeve, whereby the latter is rotatedby the former. The other 4not-ches liave rounded bottoms so` that the brush holders seated therein can have a swinging or hinge movement relatively to the sleeve. designates a plurality of brush backs, each consisting of an elongated bar 36 and a series of bristles 37. The bars 36 are adaptedto slide endwise into grooves 38 formed in the outer sides of the holders, the grooves and bars being interlocked in any suitable manner to avoid radial displacement of the brush elements, as, for instance, by undercuttingthe grooves and correspondingly forming the Uibars.

eccentricity of the shaft 28, on which- G5 thebrilsh element sleeve 29 is mounted, relatively to the axis of rotation of the shell 14 is such that when the shell is rotated, therebyfrotating the said sleeve, the 'bristles of the'brsh elements at one side of 'the shell bru'sh ,elements are partially or wholly Vdrawn within the shell,the bristles' at the rear of the shell being ractically flush with the outer face of the s ell, so as `to permit 'l5 the cotton to be stripped from the bristles by the rearwardly moving air 'blast in the. head. The said holders 30, or parts thereof, may be made f hard metal similar to the hard metal member 24 of the shell, and in 80 `order to avoid wear between the holders and the softer metal member 23 of the shell, the said radial openings 22 are formed with the outwardly and laterally ilaring clearance recesses 40 only of such width and so 85 arranged that the 'only contact between the. brush holders and shell is at the inner narrow sides of the radial grooves of the shell. In operation, driving power is delivered to the picker mechanism through the shaft i0 17 to rotate the 'shell 14 and driving power is communicated from said shell through one of the brush holders to drive or rotatev the sleeve 29 and therethrough the series of brush holders and canse the brush elements 95 as a series to rotate about the axis of the 'shaft 28, so that thereby the bristles which tip the brushelements are caused to be projected from the shell at. the front of the picker mechanism for engagement with the cotton bolls to detach the latter from the plants and to be gradually withdrawn-into the shell as the shell rotates rearwardly, as indicated in Figure 1. The picker head casing is preferably provided in rear of its mouth with one or more airopenings 43 so proportioned that the larger part of the air passing through the head, due to the suction device in rear thereof, enters the head through said port or ports 43 and is directed 110 against the-part ofthe shell into which the bristles are being withdrawn at the rear of the shell. The picker head casing is so proportioned as to'produce a passage 43 of ample width between the casing and the ends of the bristles for the entrance of cotton backwardly into the casing. Preferably the bristles of the brush element are comparatively stiff so that the cotton may be carried backwardly into the head without 12o materially bending the bristles. If desired Aand found necessary', a stationary comb or mechanism and connected tothe head f above the mouth in any suitable manner,`z

as by being attached to a. cross bar 48that is fixed to the head. Shorter guards 49.A

may -be also carried by the headl casing at Vthe other side of the mouth.

" The arrangement of the slotted holders 36 to receive the brush -backs.35 venables the latter to be removed endwise. fromthe slots 3S of said holdersl when the bristles are worn and other brush elements are to be' inserted thereinto. Any suitable locking means 'may `be provided for locking' the. brush, backs from endwise displacement in saiu holders. For instance, the portions of the holders bounding the recesses 38 may rbe made of sheet metal capable of springing outwardly a limited distance, and the ends of said walls at one end of the holder may be provided with'A inturnedlugs 50 vto engage notches 51 at the corresponding ends of the bars 36. The sa'id bristle carryingbacks or bars may be endwise removed rom the holder slots at a time when-the brush elements are furthest projected fromthe shell "14 and new bristle carrying backs or `bars inserted, as shown in Figure 1..

`In the con ructionr shown in Figure 7 tworotatin oppositely acting, picker means, embr cing the rotative, relativelyl eccentric shells and series of picker elements, are employed, in which event lthe plural picker means rotate inwardly toward each other in the direction indicated by the arrows in said Figure 7 In the construction shown in said Figure 7 two sets of ,guards 52 are employed which extend acio'ss the mouth, being attached to the: had at the opposite sides of the mouth, and extending towards each other. In the latter construction driving power is com- 'municated to one of the rotary .picker devices, and the other may be driven there'- from by direct gearing.

In the construction shown in Figures -5 and 6, the brush elements comprise a plurality of sets of radial pins which. are

and 6 is like that shown in Figures 1 to 4 .'iuclusive.

^ In all of the constructions described, it

. will be observed that the picker mechanism by which the cotton is removed from the'` burs and carried backwardly into the head and dischargedirom the brushes into the .rearwardly moving-air blast isa lunitary construction, so 4t t thereby the driving mechanism for. the picker mechanism is simplified. Moreover, by! reason. 4of 'the unita relation of the cottonfpicking and '.strippln'g mechanism bywhich the. cotton elements, the picker head is compact-and the weight thereof is reduced as compared to prior cotton icker" mechanism.

It will be un erstood'thatthe structural details of the mechanism rmay be somewhat is .removed from the l' bristles Vofthe brush varied from that shown within `the spirit and scope of the appended claims and that the invention is not. limited tothe illus.-

trated embodiments except as to claims wherein structuraldetails are specifically set forth and as imposed by the prior art.

It will also be understood that the proportions of the mechanism in respect lo mensions thereof are .also capable of convsiderable variation.

We claim as our invention:

1. A cotton picker comprising a rotative series of bristle brushes adaptedfor contact with cotton bolls, a rotative member to which said brushes are connected to advance the brushes toward and cause them to recede from picking positions,l and hollow,

rotative stripper means enclosing and axial.-

ly eccentric to and co-operating with the moving brushes to strip the cotton therefrom.

2. Cotton picker mechanism embracing a head, having a mouth, groups of interacting angularly spaced picker elements rcf se actual dimensions' of parts and relative di-v voluble as a series about an axis extending across .said mouth, said elements being tipped by br1stles, and a rotative stripper element .enclosing said axis and having openings through. -which said picker elements extend, with its axis of rotation parallel with and eccentric tothe axisof'revolution of said picker elements.`

3. Cotton picker mechanism embracing a head, having a mouth, apair 'of co-operating bristle tipped picker elements rev'oluble on parallel axes within said mouth, and stripper elements partially; enclosing and co-operating withthe moving picker elements to cause the picker elements to be projected from and recede into said stripper elements.

4. -A cotton picker comprising a rotative,

cylindrical shellhaving radial openings,-

bristle tipped brush elements rotative on an axis within and eccentric to the axisof rotation of said shell and movable outwardly and inwardly. through said openings, and doiing means exterior to said shell and cooperating with said brush elements.

5. VA. cotton picker comprisingl a rotative, 4cylindrical shell having radial, outwardly flaring openings, bristle tipped brush elements rotative on an axis within and eccentric to the axis of rotation of said shell and movable through said openings.

6. A cylindrical ,shell having. radial openings, brush holdersv movable through said openings, and bristles removably seated in said holders, said brush holders being rotative about an axiswithin andeccentric to the axis of rotation of said shell.

7. .A cotton picker comprising a rotative cylindrical shell having elongated radial openings, brush elements movable through said openings, comprising slotted holders,

` .and brushes seated in and removable endW-isc holders.

9. A cotton picker comprising a rotative, cylindrical shell having elongated radial openings, brush elements movable through said openings, comprising slotted holders,

and brushes seated. in and removable end- Wise from the slots of said holders, With means to lock said brush elements from radial and endwise displacement in said holders, said holders being rotative about an axis within and eccentric to the axis of rotation of said shell, and means to lock said brushes from endwise movement in said holders.

10. A cotton picker comprising a rotative, cylindrical shell having elongated radial openings, brush elements comprising holders having slots bounded by springable Walls,

and brushes seated in and removable endwise fromsaid slots, said holders being rotative about an axis Within and eccentric to the axis of rotation of said shell and interlockcotton picker comprising ,a rotative,`

ing connections Vbetween said springable walls and said brushes.

11. A cotton picker comprisin a rotative, cylindrical shell having radia openings, means to rotate the shell, a fixedshaft within and eccentricto the axis of rotation of said shell, va sleeve rotative on said shaft, and bristle tipped brush elements movable through said openings and connected toA said sleeve.

'12. A cotton picker comprisin a rotative, cylindrical shell having radia openings, means to rotate the shell, a fixed shaft within and eccentricl to the axis of rotation of said shell, a sleeve rotative lon said shaft, and brush elements movable through said openings, and connected to said sleeve, one of said brush'elements` constituting a driving connection between said shell and said sleeve.

13; In a cotton picker, a casi'ng, a cylindrical shell therein provided with radial openings, a cylindrical bearing on ythe casing wall on which one end of the shell is rotatively mounted, a disc Within and non-rotatively intel-locked to said shell, a driving shaft rigid with said disc and rotatively mounted in said casing, and a series of radiall members movable through the shell openings and rotative about an axis Withinl and ec- `centric to the axis of rotation of said shell.

` 14, In a cotton picker, a casing, a shellv therein-,provided with radialy openings, a c vlindric bearing on the casing Wall on which one end of the shell is rotatively mounted, a disc within and non-rotatively inter-locked to said shell, a driving shaft rigid with said disc and rotatively mounted in said casing, and a series of radial ,members movable through the shell openings and rotative about an axis within, and eccentric to the axis of rotation of, said shell, said shell comprising inner and outer members with means for fastening -said members together and constituting parts of the interlocking con.- nection between said shell and said disc.

In Witness whereof We claim the foregoing signatures this ninth day of September, 1919.

LOUIS CARROLL STUKENBORG. GEORGE H. HANDY.

'as our invention, We hereunto .append our 

